Jennifer Holzhausen's Homework Blog

March 31, 2014 (Gold)

G1 - After reading and discussing an article about a college freshman girl with a really "unique" idea, I went through the Comparative Analysis paper and what it will entail.  Next, I asked groups to brainstorm their ideas for a class list of elements that are necessary for any good "Cinderella" story.  After we created our list,  I distributed an "official" list of 14 Variants for a "Cinderella" story. I added two elements to the list.  One is Cultural Specificity.  This is what makes the story specific to the culture from which it came.  For instance, what makes the Chinese Cinderella story specifically "Chinese"?  The other element which was added was what we'll call Universality or Universal Elements.  These are the images or archetypes that seem to show up again and again in "Cinderella" stories but don't necessarily show up on the list of 14 Variants.  For instance, sometimes you will start to see animals or birds showing up frequently in "Cinderella" stories... these tend to be additional universal elements worth noting.  Another image might be the shoe or something like it.  Toward the end of the block, I assigned new groups for "Cinderella" presentations.  Groups were assigned one of six versions of the story to present to the class. Wednesday will be a work day for the presentation. Be sure to touch base with your group members.  Assignments:  Come in with creative minds on Wednesday... you'll be working on your small group presentation.  Presentations will be given on Friday.

G2/G3 - Essay tests have been graded, and grades are final for the first 9 weeks.  With that said, there are a few students who still need to take the test, and I will return them later this week after those students have had an opportunity to take it.  After catching up with one another a little bit, I distributed new homework calendars for our first short unit on Modernism.  Students took and discussed an Opinionnaire on relevant issues and ideas stemming from the unit.  For the majority of the block today, students took and discussed some dialect surveys, and we discussed the variations of accents and dialects within the room.  Online surveys: 

Dialect Survey

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=212224504004000j0j8001000140000k0800018080000b0008

Accent Survey

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have

 Assignment: Start studying SAT Vocab. List #33.  In addition, read and take notes over the following pages in your textbook:  825-833, 894-895, 978-979, and 1114.  

March 20, 2014 (Blue)

B1 - Students took the Essay Test over Realism in class today.  No Assignment!  Have a great Spring Break! :)

B3/B4 - In class today, I passed back quite a bit of graded work.  Next, we reviewed Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, Monroe's Motivated Sequence, and the 5 step paragraph method we practiced in class last time.  For the rest of the block, we watched three video clips, and students picked one of them to write about.  I asked them to make a positive claim about something the speaker was doing effectively.  This claim could be about use of logos, pathos, or ethos, or it could be about one of the 5 steps in Monroe's Sequence which was especially effective.  I collected those paragraphs at the end of the block.  

Three clips:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnRK8QpC14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFr4VLPW9Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM

 

Unless you were absent today, there is no assignment! Have a great Spring Break! :)

March 19, 2014 (Gold)

G1 - Comparative Critique Rough Drafts DUE.  We started our 4th unit today.  In class, students read "Universality of a Folktale" and discussed it in their groups.  Groups also generated Research-Based questions for the Weight unit for the 5th paper.  I distributed new homework calendars and supplementary readings for the Comparative Analysis unit.   No Assignment! Have a great Spring Break! :)

G2/G3 - Students took the Essay Test over Realism in class today.  No Assignment!  Have a great Spring Break! :)

March 18, 2014 (Blue)

B1 - Outlines for "A White Heron" DUE.  Students reviewed for their test today.  Assignment: Please study for the essay test for next time. I will post the review materials on Moodle for you to access.  

B3/B4 - We reviewed Logos, Pathos, Ethos and the five steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence. We then discussed the Invisible Children video we watched in class last time as they relate to both of these concepts.  I then walked students through the format I would like them to try for writing a paragraph with a specific claim and gave them some notes.  Next, we read and listened to Michael J. Fox's testimony (p. 612-616). Students wrote a 5-sentence paragraph in which they analyzed one of the 5 steps of Monroe's Sequence that Michael J. Fox does effectively in his speech.  I collected those and gave students some quick feedback in B3.  Next, I shared a sample with students, and we discussed how to make it even better.  For the rest of the block, we watched Seth Rogen's testimony for Alzheimer's funding and discussed his effective use of Monroe's Sequence.  No Assignment!

March 17, 2014 (Gold) St. Patrick's Day :)

G1 - Comparative Critique Draft #2 DUE for peer-editing. Binders DUE.  Students peer-edited, turned their binders in for assessment, then we watched "Dog Eat Dog," an episode of CSI related to our study on weight issues.  Assignment: Please revise and completed Draft #3 of the Comparative Critique for next time for my comments.   Although your calendar asks you to read "Universality of a Folktale" and do a DEN, I didn't mention it. If you do it, I will give you an extra check. :)

G2/G3 - Outlines for "A White Heron" DUE.  Students reviewed for their test today.  Assignment: Please study for the essay test for next time. I will post the review materials on Moodle for you to access.  

March 14, 2014 (Blue)

B1 - Outlines for "The Revolt of 'Mother'" DUE.  Journal: Write about something that happened to you during puberty.  Students read a biography and took notes on Sarah Orne Jewett. We then read and finished reading "The White Heron," the last story in our unit on Realism.  Assignment: Complete the outline for next time.  This is the last outline opportunity, so please be sure to complete the assignment if you have not already completed three of these at this point.  

B3/B4 - We reviewed Logos, Pathos, Ethos in class today.  Students took brief notes over Monroe's Motivated Sequence, then we viewed a successful, persuasive, viral video and analyzed it in terms of its use of the appeals and Monroe's Sequence.  No Assignment!

March 13, 2014 (Gold)

G1 - Checked Draft #2 of the Comparative Critique (Thesis and 3 Analysis paragraphs).  Students peer-edited, and we voted on an episode of CSI to watch in class next time.  For the remainder of the block, students worked in the computer lab on their drafts and preparing their binders.  Assignments: I will collect binders for assessment on Monday.  There are some guidelines for Binder Assessments on Moodle.  In addition, please have a full draft of the Comparative Critique ready for peer-editing for Monday (including Works Cited). 

G2/G3 - Outlines for "The Revolt of 'Mother'" DUE.  Journal: Write about something that happened to you during puberty.  Students read a biography and took notes on Sarah Orne Jewett. We then started reading "The White Heron," the last story in our unit on Realism.  Assignment: Finish the story (as needed), and complete the outline for next time.  This is the last outline opportunity, so please be sure to complete the assignment if you have not already completed three of these at this point.  You may have a quiz on Monday, so be prepared.

March 12, 2014 (Blue)

B1 - Quiz: "The Yellow Wallpaper." Outlines for "The Yellow Wallpaper" DUE.  Journal: Write about a time when a parent or grandparent went behind the other's back to do something they didn't want to wait for approval for (not an affair).  If you can't think of something, make it up in a realistic way.  After sharing journals, we read through the biography on Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, took some brief biographical notes, then we started reading "The Revolt of 'Mother'" in class together.  Assignment: Finish reading "The Revolt of 'Mother,'" and do an outline for next time if you are going to do one for this story.  We are down to the last two stories here... some of you have no choice but to do the outline for these stories.  

B3/B4 - Several students needed to take the tests over To Kill a Mockingbird today.  While they were doing that, I reviewed notes on Logical, Emotional, and Ethical Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos).  For the remainder of the block, we read through and discussed the appeals used in Elie Wiesel's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech.  Students received new homework calendars today for our brief mini-unit on Persuasion.  No Assignment!

March 11, 2014 (Gold)

G1 - Checked charts for the Comparative Critique and collected Final Drafts of the Critique today. Students worked in their groups to create sample analysis paragraphs, using the sample charts they created in their groups last time.  Groups shared their paragraphs, and we discussed how to modify them to make them stronger.  I distributed Guidelines and a sample Works Cited page for this paper. Students were taken to the lab for the rest of the block to begin working on their drafts.  Assignment: For next time, please write a solid thesis statement and three analysis paragraphs for this paper. Be sure to include the subject (authors and the focus on weight) and your three claims about how the base strengthens or weakens the lens in three areas. Use your chart!  Follow the guidelines and notes to help you construct your analysis paragraphs from the charts you made for today.  We will continue to work on drafts next week. 

G2/G3 - Quiz: "The Yellow Wallpaper." Outlines for "The Yellow Wallpaper" DUE.  Journal: Write about a time when a parent or grandparent went behind the other's back to do something they didn't want to wait for approval for (not an affair).  If you can't think of something, make it up in a realistic way.  After sharing journals, we read through the biography on Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, took some brief biographical notes, then we started reading "The Revolt of 'Mother'" in class together.  Assignment: Finish reading "The Revolt of 'Mother,'" and do an outline for next time if you are going to do one for this story.  We are down to the last two stories here... some of you have no choice but to do the outline for these stories.  

March 10, 2014 (Blue)

B1 - Outlines for Kate Chopin's stories were due today.  Students wrote journals about Depression today. For a moment, we discussed the recent incident at Daytona Beach and the woman who drove her van into the ocean.  Students shared their journals, then we read the biography for Charlotte Perkins Gilman (p. 766). Students took notes over her biographical information, then we started reading "The Yellow Wallpaper."  Assignment: Finish reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" and be ready for a quiz next time.  If you are doing an outline on this story, it is due next time.

B3/B4 - Test Review Sheets DUE.  Students took the Binder Quiz and the test over To Kill a Mockingbird today.  No Assignment!